G rade-meas u re



(No Model.) J MI RAISE GRADE MEASURE.

Patented Aug. 2, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIVCE,

yJOHN M. HAISE, OF FLORENCE, OHIO.

GRADE-MEASURE.

SPECIFIGATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,803, dated August 2, 1892.

Application tiled September ll, 1891. Serial No. 405,421. (No modelJ i .To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN M. HAIsE, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Florence, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Grade-Measure, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to a device for measuring grades of roadways, railroad-beds, ditches, duc., and determining accurately and withoutcomputationthe number of inches or feet fall thereof.

The objects in view are to provide a cheap and simple device adapted for the above purpose that may be conveniently carried about and employed, is not sensitive or liable to get out of order, and capable of being adjusted at various angles and secured in any of its positions during an examination thereof after a measurement.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a grade-measure constructed in accordance with myinvention, the same being open as in operative position upon a grade. Fig. 2 is a side elevation and partial section of the instrument, the same being closed.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in both figures of the drawings.

In constructing my instrument I employ a lower bar or member 1 and an upper bar or member 2, the same being connected at their adjacent rear corners by a hinge 3, let into the inner faces of the members, whereby said members may be folded iiatly upon each other or separated. Secured to one ofthe side faces of the lower memberin a removable manner by means of a pair of screws 4 is a quadrantshaped plate 5, the curved edge of which is divided oit into degrees indicated thereon, so that the degree of inclination or angle of separation existing between the two members when swung upon their hinge is readily indicated and observable by reference to the scale upon the said quadrant. When the instrument is not in use, the quadrant is preferably removed to permit of close packing and preservation. The lower member 1 is longitudinally bored, as at 6, and seated in the bore is a cylindrical gage-bar 7, shorter than the bar,

and interposed between the rear end of said bar and the bottom of the bore is a light coiled spring 8. lThe bar 7 is divided into a scale of inches, asshown, and at its outer end has formed thereon a cubical head 9, the upper surface of which is flush with the upper surface of the member 1. Abox 10 is secured to the free end of the upper member 2 and is provided with a transverse slot or opening 11, the rear wall of which is flush with the end of the member 1 when the two' members are brought together.

12 designates a gage-bar, rectangular or square in cross-section and divided intdfeet and inches. The barhasitslower end loosely connected to the upper side of the head 9 of the gage-bar 7 by means of a hinge 13, the leaves of which are let into the lower end of the gage-bar 12 and the upper side of the head 9. The gage-bar iits loosely in the slot 11 of the box 10 and is provided upon its inner side or face with a finely-toothed surface 14. A shaft 15 passes transversely through the box 10 and at right angles to the slot 11 thereof and within the box is provided with a toothed Wheell, engaging the teeth 14 of the gage-bar 12. The shaft 15 is revolved through the medium of apair of milled thumbnuts 17, located upon the ends of the shaft outside of the box 10, and by such revolution of the shaft and through the medium of the toothed wheel the gage-bar 12 may be moved within the box, and thus the members adjusted toward or away from each other, as will be obvious. The gage-bar 12 and the box may be locked together at any point by a pair of thumb-screws 18, passed through the front end of the box and bearing on the face of the gage-bar. The upper member 2 has mounted upon its upper face a spirit-level19.

In operation in order to iind or determine the inclination or rise of a given incline-as, for instance, a road-bed, roadway, or ditchthe instrument is placed upon the same, and after loosening the screws 18 the milled nuts 17 are slowly revolved until the spirit-level indicates that the upper member is exactly level. The screws 18 are now tightened, and by reference to the quadrant 5 the degree of inclination will be given, and by reference to the gage-bars the number of feet or inches existing between the free ends of the mem- IOO bers will be readily observable and will indicate the rise or fall commensurate to the length of the lower member 1, which member in length maybe one or more feet. Therefore if the lower member is one foot in length and the aggregate of inches exposed upon the gage-bars 7 and 12 is six it will be obvious that the rise or fall of the incline is six inches to the foot, or, as expressed in degrees, the incline is at an angle of forty-five degrees. It will be seen that the member 2 and the gage-bar 12 constitute a right angle, while the member 1 constitutes the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle, and that by adding the number of inches exposed upon the gagebar 7 to the known length of the lower member 1 the full length of the hypotenuse is Veasily found; furthermore, that the perpendicular distance between the hypotenuse and free end of the upper member is shown in inches and fractions thereof by the scale on the perpendicular bar 12 and the upper arm gives the horizontal or level line of the angle.

When not in use, the instrument may be conveniently packed for transportation by removing the gage-bars, folding them together, folding the two members together, and removing the quadrant-shaped plate. The gage-bar 12 being at a right angle with the upper member, it will be seen that when the two members are spread the hypotenuse of thetriangleis proportionately lengthened, and hence the necessity of providing the lower gage-bar and thus forming the lower member in an extensible manner.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an instrument of the class described, the combination, with the two members or bars hinged together at their rear adjacent corners, the lower member being extensible, of a gage-plate of quadrant shape having degrees of a circle indicated thereon, a gage-bar connecting the outer ends of the two members, and means for locking the bar, substantially as specified.

2. In an instrument of the class described, the combination, with the opposite members, the upper one oi' which is provided with a slot or opening and the lower one with a longitudinal bore, and a hinge connecting the rear adjacent corners of said members, of a graduated gage-bar mounted in the bore of the lower member and a graduated bar mounted in the slot of the upper member and adjustable therein, the two bars having their meeting ends loosely connected, substantially as specified.

3. In an instrument of the class described, the combination, with the opposite members hinged together at their adjacent rear corners, the upper member having a slot and the lower member longitudinally bored, of gagebars mounted in the slot and in the bore and hinged at their adjacent ends and a coiled spring interposed between the lower gage-bar 1 and the end of the bore, substantial-ly as specified.

4. In an instrument of the class described, the combination, with the opposite members hinged together at their adjacent corners, the lower member being bored andthe upper member terminating in a slotted box, of a gagebar mounted in the slot of the box, set-screws mounted in the box for binding upon the gage-bar, a shaft mounted transversely in the box, provided at its center with a toothed wheel for engaging teeth formed upon the gage-bar an'd at its ends terminating in milled nuts, a gage-bar mounted in the bore of the lower member and terminating at its outer end in a head Hush with the outer surface of said lower member, and a hinge connecting the upper surface of the said head with the lower end of the gage-bar of the upper member, substantially as specified.

5. An instrument of the class described, the same consisting of two bars of the same length, hinged at their rear extremities, the upper bar being provided with a spirit-level, a loop or box at the free end of the upper member, a set-screw in said loop or box, and a rigid strip, bearing a scale of inches, flexibly connected at its lower end to the free end of the lower bar,passing through the loop or box, and impingedupon by the screw, substantially as specified.

6. An instrument of the class described, the same consisting of two bars of the same length, hinged at their rear extremities, the upper bar being provided with a spirit-level, a loop or box at the free end of the upper member, a set-screw in said loop or box, and a rigid strip, bearing a scale of inches, iiexibly connected at its lower end to the free end of an extensible bar which has bearings in the lower bar, passing through the loop or box, and impin ged upon by the screw, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own Ihave hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOI-IN M. HAISE.

Witnesses:

T. C. CHAPMAN, Guo. I. HAIsE.

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